By Ron Jackson

It has been reported that that former South African flyweight champion Johannes “Baby Joe” Miya passed away last week. He was 65. As an amateur he trained at the Elsburg Gold Mine in the Western Area under the guidance of Elias Mpembe

Miya who was born Johannes Mpiyakhe Miya on 19 April 1957 died at his home in an informal settlement near Eldorado Park and had been ill for some time.

He made his professional debut at the D H Williams Hall in Katlehong, Germiston on 29 June 1979, fighting to a four-round draw against Edison Ramagole.

He then had another eleven fights with one draw and a loss to Simon Moema for the vacant Transvaal flyweight title.

On 28 February 1981 he outpointed Johannes Sithebe over ten rounds in a bout billed for the Transvaal flyweight title, but Miya was overweight and could not claim the title.

He then went on to win the vacant Transvaal flyweight title with a third-round stoppage over Freddie Masemola and in his next fight on 29 September 1982 at the Men’s Hostel Hall in Alexandra, Johannesburg he won on points over 12 rounds against Ranching Louw for the vacant South African flyweight title.

Joe would then make successful defenses of the title against Joseph Ngubane, Frazer Ndzande and Fransie Badenhorst before losing it to Welcome Ncita in Port Elizabeth on 15 March 1986.

He would regain the Transvaal title against Kirk Morris and make two successful defenses, before losing his last two fights against Mzwandile Somthunzi and “Baby Jake” Jacob Matlala on an eighth-round stoppage on 5 March 1989 at the then Shareworld Centre near Nasrec, Soweto.

He finished with a record of 20-9-4, 3 KOs.

After retiring from the ring “Baby Joe” was never far away from boxing and assisted Elias Mpembe with training fighters.

I saw several of his fights and after he retired, I will always remember chatting to this humble and well-respected man at ringside.